WHAT MAKES ASHWAGANDHA SPECIAL
In a way, the Ashwagandha root reminds us of Shilajit. When we take a closer look, it actually has quite a few similar effects like having significant antioxidant properties, boosting the immune system, helping with hormonal regulation, and supporting mental and cognitive functions. And before we go any deeper into this topic, you might want to ask yourself why we are even writing about Ashwagandha. The truth is, we are preparing a few new products that will be, as you probably guessed, based on a mixture of Ashwagandha and Shilajit. We believe that these two extraordinary substances will work great together. They seem to complement each other perfectly, and the results of the first tests are way above our initial expectations. We will reveal more about this soon enough. Let’s say for now that Ashwagandha delivers everything it seems to promise.
So, where is the secret to its success? There appears to be a lot of praise about it on the internet, but not much info on what makes it valuable, at least on popular mainstream blogs. Luckily for you, we took our time and did our research. As it turns out, a lot of scientifical research was made.
We’ll make a quick introduction for those of you who are not that familiar with it. Ashwagandha is an evergreen shrub growing in India, the Middle East, and Africa. It has a long history of use in traditional medicine. For hundreds of years, people have used the roots and orange-red fruit of Ashwagandha for medicinal purposes. The herb is also known as Indian ginseng or winter cherry. Every single part of the shrub is immensely useful in some way or the other.
Modern medicine classifies Ashwagandha as an adaptogen, which means it helps the body adapt to stress. The herb is most well known for its rejuvenating and therapeutic attributes. The available studies suggest that adaptogens help decrease symptoms of fatigue and exhaustion and may be most helpful when used alongside other therapies for people with chronic and acute medical conditions.
WHAT IS IN ASHWAGANDHA ROOT?
Judging by available studies, Ashwagandha is rich in vitamins, tannins, minerals K, Mn, Na, Fe, Zn, Cu, Al, Ca, Cd & Ni, and even amino acids. But what makes it unique are alkaloids, steroidal lactones, and saponins – they are all withanolides. The withanolides are the major chemical constituents of Ashwagandha, and the plant has been the subject of considerable modern scientific attention. Since we presume most of us are not familiar with said substances, we’ll try to break them down into a more understandable form.
WITHANOLIDES
Firstly, alkaloids have diverse and important physiological effects on humans and other animals. They are found primarily in plants and are especially common in certain families of flowering plants. Secondly, the steroidal lactones (also withanolides) obtained from their roots have been implicated in a wide range of therapeutic activities and maintaining general health like immunomodulation, combating infectious agents, anti-epileptic, memory enhancer, to promote good physical and mental health.
Research shows that the withanolides help to regulate metabolic hormone levels. It is beneficial in reducing stress and cortisol levels. Still, it may also mildly enhance sprinting capacity, increase motivation, and speed up one’s metabolism via increased thyroid hormone secretion over time.
Numerous studies have indicated that Ashwagandha possesses antioxidant, antistress, antiinflammatory, immunomodulatory, hematopoietic, antiaging, anxiolytic, antidepressive, and rejuvenating properties that it also influences various neurotransmitter receptors in the central nervous system. Laboratory analysis has revealed more than 35 chemical constituents contained in the super root of Ashwagandha.
The Ayurveda, which is gaining in popularity in many western countries, states that because the primary quality and flavor of Ashwagandha is sharp and pungent, this indicates that it is warming, raises metabolism, stimulates digestion, clears mucus, and improves circulation. The distinctive earthy odor and flavor of Ashwagandha are due to the presence of said withanolides, which makes a lot of sense when you connect the dots.
CONCLUSION
- We could go on and on about these substances, but to be honest, we don’t see the point because this is a very exact and complex science that goes into great detail and would deserve a whole series of blogs, not just one. It is sufficient to say that a lot (and we mean A LOT) of research was done in this area, proving what humans knew for thousands of years. Ashwagandha is special.
- These unique and beneficial substances can, at least in our opinion, help bring balance back into our lives and help us live better. We firmly believe that even more research is needed solely based on the fact that Ashwagandha shows so much promise. So far, it is keeping us speechless.